The Dish: Celebrity chef samples Greenwich fare

Published 6:29 pm, Saturday, October 13, 2012

Out there ... The 21st annual benefit dinner for The Inner-City Foundation For Charity & Education Black-Tie gala takes place Oct. 25 at the Hyatt Regency Greenwich featuring The Midtown Men, stars of the original cast of the Broadway hit "Jersey Boys." Tony Award-winner Christian Hoff, Michael Longoria, Daniel Reichard and Tony Award nominee J. Robert Spencer will perform their favorite "Sixties Hits" from The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Motown and The Four Seasons. The event, emceed by Emmy Award-winning anchor Dave Price of "Good Day New York," will honor Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, past president of the foundation. Since 1992, the foundation has awarded more than $24 million to organizations whose programs serve the needy of Fairfield County. For more info and tickets, call 203-416-1363, or visit www.innercityfoundation.org.

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Scene ... Television personality and former mayor of Cincinnati Jerry Springer, host of "The Jerry Springer Show," was seen at Chase Bank on Greenwich Avenue on Tuesday chatting with Greenwich resident Mary McGarrity Kinahan.

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Out there ... Stamford native Michael Fedele, former lieutenant governor of Connecticut, will be honored at the sixth annual March of Dimes Fairfield County Signature Chefs Auction on Oct. 22 at the Italian Center in Stamford as this year's Franklin Delano Roosevelt Outstanding Corporate Citizen. Fedele is founder and chairman of Stamford-based Pinnacle Group and, among his numerous public posts, is currently a member of the board of directors of Stamford Hospital, a former board member of the Yerwood Center, the Stamford Education Foundation and CTE, a community action agency that addresses poverty in Stamford, Darien and Greenwich. He and his wife, Carol, have three children: Michael, Briana and Alesandra. Establishments participating at the event include Bar Q, Bar Rosso, Harlan, Mangia Philomena and Napa and Company. The March of Dimes organization works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For tickets and more information, call Dana Roth at 203-692-5889 or visit marchofdimes.com/ct

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Scene ... The Red Ribbon Foundation's 10th biennial SAFE sex, drugs and rock n' roll fundraiser in support of the fight against HIV/AIDS takes place at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, N.Y., on Nov. 3. The evening, emceed by "Good Morning America" co-host and Riverside resident Lara Spencer, will feature '90s rock/pop band Sugar Ray, led by singer and entertainment personality Mark McGrath (VH1's "Best of" shows, "Extra"); guest presenter and Greenwich resident Regis Philbin; and guest auctioneer Rob Burnett, an Emmy Award-winning producer/writer and Greenwich resident. Members of the nationally celebrated Imperial Court of New York, a nonprofit fundraising organization for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities, will serve as ushers. Gary Dell'Abate, aka Baba Booey, producer of "The Howard Stern Show" and an Old Greenwich resident, will receive the Jonathan Scharer Lifetime Achievement award. Dell'Abate is board president of "Lifebeat: The Music Industry Fights AIDS," of which he and his wife, Mary, are longtime supporters. World-renowned AIDS researcher Dr. Jeffrey Laurence, of amfAR and Weill Cornell Medical College, will receive a Visionary Award for his pioneering work on a cure. The Greenwich-based foundation, one of the leading HIV/AIDS fundraising organizations in the Northeast, has granted over $2.3 million to organizations working worldwide to advance HIV/AIDS research, prevention and education initiatives and compassionate-care programs. For tickets and more information (late night admission tickets $125 at 9 p.m. offer access to the Sugar Ray concert, light fare, open bar and dancing), purchase online at redribbon.ejoinme.org/safetix, or go to www.redribbonfoundation.org.

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Out there ... The First Bank of Greenwich on East Putnam Avenue in Cos Cob will host artist and Greenwich native Michael Spezzano Jr. at a cocktail reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 17. To RSVP, call 203-302-4375 or email Frank@GreenwichFirst.com.

Out there ... The Avon Theatre in Stamford will feature a reception and special presentation of "Stir Crazy," followed by a Q&A with one of its stars, Stamford resident and actor/author Gene Wilder, moderated by his wife, Karen Wilder, on Wednesday. For tickets (members: $25, nonmembers: $35), call 203-661-0321 or 203-967-3660.

And that's all for now.

Later ...

Got a tip? Seen a celebrity? Email Susie Costaregni at thedish2@yahoo.com.